“I appeal to (Home Minister) Amit Shah and Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) not to push us to the path followed by (E V R) Periyar. Don’t push us to demand for a separate nation. Please grant us state autonomy,” said Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP A Raja in the presence of party chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin.
Raja made the remarks that have the potential to stoke a controversy at an event organised by the DMK in Namakkal in western Tamil Nadu on Sunday. Speaking on the topic ‘Coalition Government at the Centre and Autonomy for States’, Raja explained in detail the rights that the Constitution originally granted to the Union and State governments.
Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that Hindi was the only language that could unite India, Raja “reminded” him that East Pakistan seceded from Pakistan only because Urdu was “imposed” on the Bengali-speaking people.
“Will a language unite a country? When Mohammed Ali Jinnah spoke in Urdu in East Pakistan, a young man stood up in protest. He said Bengali was their language and asked him to speak in Bengali. Jinnah refused and Pakistan split into two (two decades later),” Raja said.
Blaming the successive governments at the Centre, including those led by ally Congress, of watering down federalist principles by making states “beg” before the Union Government, Raja said states are like prisoners with “handcuffs” who cannot enjoy freedom even after their release. DMK actively pushes for federalism and state autonomy while opposing Hindi imposition.
He also recalled how late DMK founder C N Annadurai dropped the demand for Dravida Nadu in 1963 and the steps taken by M Karunanidhi to ensure autonomy for states. “Unfortunately, states don’t have autonomy till date,” he added.
“The Prime Minister says he will treat all states equally. Amit Shah says Hindi is integral for India’s unity. DMK dropped the demand for a separate Tamil Nadu and embraced state autonomy. However, our ideological father Periyar was in support of a separate nation (for Tamils) till his last breath,” Raja said.
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“However, we distanced ourselves a bit from Periyar, and said ‘Long Live India’. We still say the same. I want to tell Amit Shah and Prime Minister in the presence of my Chief Minister who wants to travel the path followed by Anna that please don’t push us towards Periyar’s path. Don’t make us ask for a separate country. Grant state autonomy,” Raja said.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai criticised Raja for his statement and reminded him that this is not the 1960s. “The @arivalayam party believes they are entitled to plunder the state when in power, and if questioned, they will pull out their oldest trick called “state autonomy” and propagate separatism; they better be reminded that this is not the 60s,” he wrote.
What is generally a pre-election rhetoric has begun this early isn't surprising given the obstacles DMK men face in their pursuit of richness through corrupt means, Annamalai said, adding that making vile threats is a display of desperation when former ministers are facing corruption charges.
“Falling popularity after failing promises, @CMOTamilnadu should invent a better excuse for not delivering instead of pushing their defunct propaganda,” Annamalai added.